Method of applying upholstery or the like



Oct. 1'7, 1933. J. LEDWINKA 1,930,484

METHOD OF APPLYING UPHOLSTERY OR THE LIKE Original Filed July 1. 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR. JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

BY d] l ATTORNEY.

Oct. 17, i933. l J. LEDwINKA 1,930,484

METHOD OF APPLYING 'UPHOLSTERY OR THE LIKE original Filed July 1. 1931 2sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 17, 1933 A- Y METHOD or ArPLnNG UPHOLSTERY on 1 'rmi mmJoseph 'Ledwlnka Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to .Edward G. BuddManufacturing Company,

Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application July 1, 1931, sei-1&1 No. 548,139 Renewed January 11, 1933 sclaims. (ci. 4.5--131n The invention relates to a method of applyingupholstery or the like and particularly to a method of applyingupholstery to metal panels, such as the panels of a sheet metal vehiclebody the structural features of which are covered in co-pendingapplication, S. N. 549,598, filed July 9, 1931.

Heretofore it has been the practice to secure the upholstery or the liketo metal panels of automobile bodies by providing wooden tacking stripsin various parts of the body where the upholstery was to be secured, butthis method of attaching upholstery had several very serious drawbacks,in that the wood could not readily be bent into the shapes required, forexample, around doorway openings having rounded corners, which requiredrelatively wide strips to avoid splitting by the upholstery tacks, andwas o body had' been subjected to u It is a main object of thisinvention to provide a method of applying upholstery which overcomesthese diiculties, permits applying the upholstery or the like with aminimumnof labor, and at low cost, and results in a finished productwhich excels previous constructions in roominess, smoothness of surface,and general all around efciency and durability.

In general, this object is attained by providing the metal panel orpanels to which the upholstery or the like is to be applied withlchannels, which may readily be formed in the same stamping operationswhich give the panels their shape and contour and which addA stiffnessto the panels and may readily be shaped of tortuous or curved formationto conform to rounded corners of door and window openings, and thentaking a twisted flexible cord such as a twisted paper cord, which maybe carried in a roll or coil and applied directly frorn the roll or coilby inserting one end thereof in an end of the channel of the panel andthen forcing it progressively into the channel and securing it therein,the cord being cut off when the opposite end of the channel is reached.y

Preferably, the twisted cord is compressed and formed prior to insertinginto'the channel to substantially the cross-sectional shape of thechannel, but 'of somewhat greater transverse Width, whereby it isfurther compressed when hammered or otherwise forced into the channel.The channel may be of tapering sides and the cord of somewhat moreabrupt taper, its smaller edge readily entering the mouth of thechannel, but its wider edge being wider than the mouth cured in place,as by tacking it to the cord. The

cord, -because of its compressed and twisted condition, forms a mediumparticularly adapted to hold the Shanks of the tacks and preventingtheir working loose.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following detailed description when read in connection with theappended drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a section of round twisted cordage usedin the practice of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing an apparatus which may be used inshaping the cordage to the desired cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the axis of theshaping rolls.

Fig. 4 is a perspective 'view showing the method 85 of applying thecordage to the channel of the panel.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the cordage secured in place.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the upholstery 9 applied.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of an automobile body, parts of the nearside being broken away to show the interior of the opposite side walland a portion of the rear wall, this view illustrating the applicationof the method to the trimming of the interior of automobile bodies.

' Fig. 8 is a transverse section, parts being shown in outline only, ofthe portion above the window opening oi the side wall of the body shownin Fig. 7, showing the upholstery applied.

In the practice of my method, the panel 10, which in this case is shownto be the inner panel or panels of an automobile body wall is formed inappropriate locations, as around the door and window opening and aroundthe top and sides thereof, with a relatively narrow channel or channels11 of substantial depth and preferably somewhat deeper than its Width.For convenience of forming the channel and to facilitate the insertionof the tacking strip therein, the side walls of the channel are taperingand the bottom Wall is rounded. The channel so shaped can be readilyformed in the same die stamping operations by which the panel is giventhe desired shape and contour and these channels around the door andwindow openings are of tortuous and curvilinear form, and aidsubstantially in these regions in stiffening the body wall structure.

In the practice of the method, I take a paper ycord l2 made of anyconvenient length out of paper strips twisted together while in a wetcondition, as is usual in the manufacture of paper cordage. This cord asit emerges from the twisting process is substantially circular in crosssection as shown in Fig. 1 and may be wound on conveniently sized spools13 or coils which may be conveniently handled.

The cordage, while wet, is wound from the spools and compressed andformed to a crosssectional shape approximating that of the channel 11tovwhichv it is to be applied. In the apparatus shown, the cord ispassed from the spool 13 between a pair of opposed rolls 14 having theirperipheral surface contoured as indicated in Fig. 3, and in thispassage, the round section cord is compressed to render it more denseand given a shape in cross section approximating that of the channel 11,only having somewhat more tapering sides, and being somewhat wider inits widest portion than the mouth of the channel 1l.

The formed cord 16, as it comes from the rolls 14, may again be woundupon a spool, as 15, of convenient size for handling and from such spoolit may be led directly and applied to the panel l0 the spool beingsupported upon a rack for example.

In the application to the panel 10, its end is inserted in one end ofthe channel and it readily enters the channel some distance due to therelative dimensions and tapers and is nally forced home as by a hammer17. In this process of forcing it into the channel, the cordage strip isfurther compressed by the side walls of the channel and is made to llthechannel and intimately engage its side walls, which intimateengagement holds it frictionally in place.

The application of the formed cordage strip l6` the end of one channelthe cord is cut off without any waste and the end may again be insertedat the beginning of another channel and the process repeated. y

After the cord has been forced into the channel 11, its outer face 18 issubstantially fiush with the adjacent body of the panel, thus makingwith the body of the panel a continuous smooth surface against which theupholstery panel, as 19, may be applied.

To additionally secure the cordage in the channel, I may employ anysuitable securing means, but a very conveniently applied and securemeans is provided by the nails 20 having hardened points adapted toreadily pierce the cordage strip and the'metal of the panel and aspirally fiutedY shank which interlocks with the strip and panel to holdthe nails, and hence the strip, in place.

The upholstery is secured in place by the tacks 21 driven into thecompressed twisted paper cord which, because of its twisted andcompressed nature, holds the Shanks of the tacks securely in placeregardless of th'e direction in which they are driven.

In the foregoing description I have described Ithe method of myinvention in connection with one form of apparatus by the use of whichit may be practiced, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art,that changes may be made in the manner of carrying out the method andthat the method may be employed in other relations than in theapplication of upholstery to automobile bodies, and I do not desire tolimit the invention other than as required by the liberal interpretationof the language and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panel whichconsists in forming a relatively narrow deep channel in the metal of thepanel, taking a -twisted V:dexible cordage strip preformed substantiallyto the shape of the channel, inserting one end thereof into the channeland forcing it progressively into the channel, and attaching theupholstery or the like to the flexible strip.

2. The method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panel whichconsists in forming a relatively narrow deep channel in the metal of thepanel, taking a twisted exible cordage strip of indefinite length,adapted to be compressed when inserted in the channel, inserting one endof the strip in the channel, and forcing it progressively into thechannel and finally securing it in the channel.

3. 'I'he method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panelwhich consists in forming a relatively narrow deep channel in the metalof the panel, twisting strips of paper into a cordage strip and formingthe cordage strip substantially to the shape of the channel, `and theninserting the cordage strip into the channel at one end thereof andprogressively forcing it into the channel and securing it therein, andcutting the cordage strip at the end of the channel remote from that atwhich the insertion was commenced. l

4. The method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panel, whichconsists in forming the panel with a channel, taking an indeterminatelength of a twisted cordage strip and laying it into the channelprogressively, and securing it therein, and finally securing theupholstery or the like to said strip.

5. The method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panel whichconsists informing the panel .with a channel having tapered sides,pre-forming a twisted cordage strip to substantially the transversesectional shape of the channel but of somewhat greater taper and width,inserting one end of the strip into the channel vand forcing itprogressively into the channel and securing it therein.

6. The method of applying upholstery or the like to a metal panel whichconsists in forming the panel with a channel, taking an indeterminatelength of a twisted cordage strip pre-formed to substantially the shapeof the channel but of somewhat wider cross section, inserting one end ofthe strip into the channel, and forcing it progressively into thechannel to compress it and cause it to assume the shape of the channel,whereby it is frictionally held in the channel.

ceiving channel, which consists in forcing a exible cordage oftransverse cross section somewhat larger than the transverse dimensionof the channel, progressively into a channel from end to end thereofwhereby the friction between the walls of the channel and said striptend to hold the strip therein and securing upholstery or the like tosaid strip.

. JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

